Exhibition loss could be a blessing in disguise for Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. – Sunday’s 71-63 loss to neighboring Assumption College was certainly not what Milan Brown wanted. But regardless of the result, the Holy Cross mentor, now in his third season at the school, was surely going to come away knowing his team had a good deal of work ahead.

“We knew there were some holes that we needed to fill,” said Brown after Sunday’s game. “I’m hoping that this is a blessing in disguise for us.”

If the loss helps him get his team’s attention a little more, as it should, then it can be just that.

By now, remnants of the Sean Kearney era in Worcester are few, and Brown has a team mostly composed of players he and his staff recruited. There’s no question about the team knowing what he expects and how he has his teams play. And while the intangibles are good, there is an area of concern with them at the moment: leadership.

“I like how ‘together’ we are, we just need to make sure one or two of the guys steps up and kind of be the ‘Alpha Males’ of the group,” said Brown. “We’re really together and a really tight-knit bunch, but sometimes that doesn’t allow one, two or three guys to step up and hold other guys accountable and themselves inside the lines because everybody’s so friendly.”

At first glance, the Crusaders are in better shape up front than on the perimeter. Junior Dave Dudzinski and senior co-captain Phil Beans are two that Brown can hang his hat on, and sophomore Taylor Abt, who might have the most mature body of the bunch, looks like he may be ready to emerge. They also have senior Eric Obeysekere, who sat out Sunday’s exhibition game due to injury but has proven himself to be a good rebounder, ranking second on the team in that category last season despite playing just 18 minutes per game.

There is more depth behind them coming from freshmen Chris Morgan and Isaiah Baker, neither of whom got into Sunday’s game. Both could be redshirt candidates if the upperclassmen remain healthy and produce since they already have four players they can count on.

The Crusaders’ biggest losses are on the perimeter, as high-scoring guards Devin Brown and R.J. Evans are no longer around, as well as versatile Mike Cavataio, who battled injuries last season. Brown also played the point at times in his career but was always more of a scorer, and it’s his scoring that will be missed the most since they are now in better shape at the point.

One natural place to look for leadership is at that position, and Holy Cross has Justin Burrell, who won the Patriot League’s Rookie of the Year award last season. After some growing pains early, he settled in and was much better in league play, and while just 5’9″ he makes this team go. They’ll look for more from him this season right from the outset.

“He has some more on his plate,” Brown said of the sophomore. “If he doesn’t get other guys shots, we can struggle at times with scoring the basketball.”

Senior Dee Goens will back Burrell up and is a good veteran presence who has started games in his career, and he might play alongside Burrell from time to time.

Jordan Stevens figures to be one of the wings, as the left-handed senior can shoot and has underrated athleticism. The other holdover is sophomore Malcolm Miller, who played with a heavy heart on Sunday as his mother recently passed away after fighting leukemia and the team attended the funeral on Saturday. Miller is long and athletic and may be ready to break out with more of an opportunity to play this season. Freshman Cullen Hamilton could start, as he comes with the reputation of a shooter and showed off his stroke in the exhibition game on Sunday. He started and went 4-8 from long range while handing out four assists with no turnovers, and Brown thinks he will contribute right away although he will need to adjust defensively to playing at this level.

The Crusaders were hoping for some additional depth with freshman Eric Green, but the NCAA ruled him ineligible as a result of playing six years of high school basketball. Green figured to get minutes in part for his defense, but will have to wait until next season.

The Patriot League has been on a path of improvement for a while now, and next year it gets even better when Boston University and Loyola (Md.) both join. That also means it will get tougher, and Brown is among other things trying to get the program ready. But first things first: this season, when Bucknell and Lehigh will be the teams to beat and the Crusaders could be among the best challengers. There is a lot of work ahead, but a lot could be done quickly if Sunday’s game has the right effect.